| Name
5 things you like about Greater Bakersfield. What are our
Strengths? |
|
| Location/proximity to ocean,
mountains, large city (L.A.) |
296 |
| Nice, friendly, & helpful
people |
276 |
| Centennial Garden events |
268 |
| Affordable housing & land |
221 |
| Downtown
Rebuilding/revitalization/beautification |
165 |
| Low traffic-ease of
mobility/low commute time |
163 |
| Good schools-in some areas |
157 |
| Small town atmosphere/big
town events |
155 |
| Low cost of living;
financially reasonable place to live |
154 |
| Valley Plaza Mall/shopping
centers/adequate shopping |
133 |
| Safe place to live/law
enforcement/declining crime rate |
125 |
| Educ. Resources:
CSUB, BC. UC Ext. |
116 |
| Increase in diversity of
activities/ entertainment |
115 |
| Weather/relatively mild
climate/year round golf |
113 |
| Variety of restaurants: many
countries represented |
106 |
| Spirit of generosity &
giving/volunteerism/opportunities for involvement |
100 |
| Family oriented/lots of
activities/great place to raise kids |
90 |
| Lots of clean parks:
beautiful and accessible |
71 |
| Community spirit/sense of
community |
69 |
| Many movie theaters |
69 |
| Market Place |
58 |
| Good size, not crowded |
57 |
| Kern River Parkway/bike path |
57 |
| Cultural resources: Fox,
Stars, Symphony |
54 |
| Employment/jobs/job market |
46 |
| Parades, street fairs,
community events, up on the roof, First Night |
45 |
| Diversity/wonderful mix of
culture/multicultural neighborhoods |
45 |
| Good economy/opportunity for
growth |
41 |
| "Big" on sporting
events: Blaze, Condors, CSUB basketball |
41 |
| Growing, Focus on positive
growth and development |
36 |
| Emphasis on church/many
diverse worship houses |
35 |
| Growing cultural
awareness/expanding events and opportunities |
32 |
| Kern River-especially when
water runs through it! |
30 |
| Clean streets & lots of
trees |
30 |
| Agricultural heritage &
now diversity |
28 |
| Outdoor Recreation facilities |
27 |
| Helpful,
accessible local
government, responsive elected officials |
25 |
| GET buses, convenient stops,
evening schedule |
25 |
| Wide streets, attractively
landscaped - except Rosedale |
24 |
| Great hospitals: Memorial,
KMC, Heart, etc |
24 |
| Sports activities: youth
& semi-pro |
23 |
| Buck Owens, the Crystal
Palace, the "Bakersfield sound" |
21 |
| Country living/open space |
20 |
| Kern County Museum/Pioneer
Village/Art Museum/CALM |
18 |
| Van's Skate Park |
16 |
| Conservative community |
15 |
| Kern County Fair |
13 |
| Quiet, peaceful town; reduced
stress attitude |
13 |
| Teenage hangouts, Nickel
Arcade, John's Incredible Pizza |
13 |
| Local news teams/good local
coverage/ KGET newscast members |
12 |
| After school programs for
children |
12 |
| Beale and other libraries |
12 |
| Working together to make our
future better |
10 |
| Lakes (Ming, Woollomes, Buena
Vista) |
8 |
| Rich history, let's make more
of it |
8 |
| Fresh & plentiful
affordable produce |
8 |
| Nice, beautiful
neighborhoods (Northeast, Westchester) |
8 |
| Bakersfield Business
Conference |
8 |
| Lots of land-available for
growth/disappearing to housing |
7 |
| Community Organization &
Govt. Collaborations |
7 |
| Pro-business attitude |
7 |
| Mesa Marin, racing,
recognition of motor sports |
7 |
| Beautiful views of mountain
scenery |
7 |
| Hart Park |
6 |
| New "Bakersfield"
sign |
6 |
| Oil Industry |
6 |
| Ag and Oil |
6 |
| Dewar's |
6 |
| Jazz festivals |
5 |
| Good street maintenance |
5 |
| Nice antique stores |
5 |
| Many senior
activities/residences/centers |
4 |
| Arts representation:
galleries, antiques, live shows; strong artistic community |
4 |
| Diversity in business |
4 |
| AMTRACK |
4 |
| Strong "Christian"
community |
4 |
| Great airport & air
service |
4 |
| Homeless Shelter |
4 |
| Free parking availability |
4 |
| Great concerts |
4 |
| Location at highway &
R.R. transport hub-good for business/commercial hub os So. S.J.
Valley |
4 |
| Panorama walking path |
4 |
| Book stores, Starbucks &
Barnes & Noble |
4 |
| Good mental health services |
4 |
| Excellent social services:
job placement, fire, police, trash, green waste, free leaf |
4 |
| Family owned stores that
popularize Bakersfield: Dewars, Woolgrowers, Guthries |
4 |
| Downtown School |
3 |
| Newspaper's focus on positive
news/truth. Involvement
in the community |
3 |
| Camelot Amusement Park |
3 |
| Natural beauty such as trees |
3 |
| Well planned communities (Silvercreek,
PoloGlen, etc) |
3 |
| Parks & Recreation Dept. |
3 |
| Availability of day care |
3 |
| Proactive Chamber with great
community involvement |
3 |
| Convenience of shopping to
residential |
3 |
| Full variety of good radio
stations |
3 |
| Our Mayors (Price &
Shell) |
3 |
| Community seems to focus on
basics in life; Values |
3 |
| Visionary Movers &
Shakers, Vision2020, community has vision |
3 |
| Kern County Collaborative -
resources available to the community |
3 |
| Business community working
together for a better community |
3 |
| Community pulls together in
times of need |
3 |
| Children's Network
& newly established partnerships |
3 |
| Diverse environment:
mountains, desert, river |
3 |
| Clean air, the Night
Sky-stars are visible |
3 |
| Golf courses |
3 |
| Choice of physicians |
3 |
| Senior centers, food
distribution, help when needed |
3 |
| Truxtun Extension
beautification |
3 |
| Old Town Kern, if preserved
& restored |
3 |
| Panama-Buena Vista
Schools are
great |
3 |
| Conservative government |
2 |
| City & county fire and
police cooperation |
2 |
| Basque Food |
2 |
| Garces High School; private
schools |
2 |
| Work ethic attitude |
2 |
| School projects; academic
competition |
2 |
| Leading county in welfare to
work programs |
2 |
| Local police involvement with
community; PAL programs, etc |
2 |
| Large number of caring
educators |
2 |
| Holiday Inn Select |
2 |
| New positive attitude city is
exuding (not hicksville anymore) |
2 |
| Graffiti hotline, little
graffiti |
2 |
| Environmentally supportive
elected officials |
2 |
| Career services center - ETR |
2 |
| Emergency services, quick
response to accidents |
2 |
| Non-profit agencies |
2 |
| Talent: Korn, Smokin
Armadillos |
2 |
| Easy to find things-city well
laid-out |
2 |
| Grocery stores spaced well |
2 |
| Gang activity low relative to
other cities |
2 |
| 7 Oaks Country Club |
2 |
| Airport Bus availability |
2 |
| Light industry |
2 |
| KCSOS visionary in programs
and downtown |
2 |
| Auto Mall |
2 |
| Rosedale |
2 |
| Safe schools/law enforcement
in schools |
2 |
| Freeways: N-S-E-W |
2 |
| Tourism |
2 |
| Great Rotary town |
2 |
| Trash pickup |
2 |
| Places for bands to play |
2 |
| Strong local leadership |
2 |
| Young adults (30-40) appear
to be taking a more active part in the community |
1 |
| Opportunity for an individual
to make a difference |
1 |
| Variety of housing options
(price & type) |
1 |
| Low unemployment |
1 |
| Involvement of political
leaders in community events |
1 |
| Our "nostalgic"
look |
1 |
| Independent spirit |
1 |
| Enthusiasm at every event |
1 |
| High school career academies |
1 |
| Isolated from floods, fires,
famine, 1000' waves |
1 |
| Abundant
energy |
1 |
| High quality of life |
1 |
| "Can do" attitude
in business community |
1 |
| Local
recreation attracting lots of income |
1 |
| Aspirations of our youth to
do better |
1 |
| Strong patriotism |
1 |
| Professional community
(lawyers, geologists, etc) |
1 |
| Expert approach to Kern
County facilities |
1 |
| Reinvestment in old buildings |
1 |
| Good support teams from
"higher ups" in helping youth |
1 |
| Smith's Bakery |
1 |
| Temple Beth El |
1 |
| Edwards Air Base |
1 |
| Networking of charitable
organizations |
1 |
| Excellent athletes (CSUB,
Condors, high school) |
1 |
| SEW Original Needle Arts |
1 |
| Symphony |
1 |
| Govt officials want to make
it a better place |
1 |
| Tree Foundation |
1 |
| Paint the town pink month |
1 |
| Valley Achievement school for
autistic children |
1 |
| H.E.A.R.T.S. Connection
Family Resource Center |
1 |
| Adaptive Aquatics Center |
1 |
| M.A.R.E. |
1 |
| Pepsi available at many
restaurants |
1 |
| Historical preservation of
some buildings |
1 |
| Program for replacing
underground water |
1 |
| Easy access to freeway |
1 |
| City staff approaches
everything with "can do" team effort |
1 |
| McCan Family Chiropractic |
1 |
| Valley Bible Fellowship |
1 |
| It's flat, great for biking |
1 |
| Major traffic intersections
well regulated |
1 |
| Summer concert series |
1 |
| Barbara Patrick always hears
my concerns |
1 |
| State Senator Jim Costa |
1 |
| Exceptional GATE/magnet
programs at BCSD |
1 |
| Fireworks are okay |
1 |
| Bricks around fountain |
1 |
| Wide range of manpower |
1 |
| Government row on Truxtun |
1 |
| Expansion into undeveloped
foothills in Northeast |
1 |
| Plenty of lighting at night |
1 |
| Home of Bob Karpe and other
great men |
1 |
| Adult clubs |
1 |
| New signs at parks |
1 |
| Board of Supervisors on TV -
KGOV |
1 |
| Lots of guitar stores |
1 |
| Healthcare excellent |
1 |
| Wall Street Alley |
1 |
| Skating rinks |
1 |
| Bowling alleys |
1 |
| Vision of City Council |
1 |
| East Bakersfield |
1 |
| Infrastructure planning |
1 |
| Pedestrian friendly |
1 |
| Water in river year
round-recreation potential |
1 |
| City owns water rights in
river |
1 |
| NW development |
1 |
| No L. A. problems |
1 |
| Recycle club for kids |
1 |
| Takedown on violence in E.
Bakersfield |
1 |
| Hi speed rail through
downtown potential |
1 |
| Gleaners |
1 |
| No mosquitoes, fleas, etc |
1 |
| Crosstown freeway extending
to Rosedale Hwy |
1 |
| Not quite as gentrified |
1 |
| Organ at Bakersfield
Christian Life Center |
1 |
| The law school |
1 |
| Cancer monument |
1 |
| Excellent public defenders
office |
1 |
| Video stores |
1 |
| Recovery homes |
1 |
| San Joaquin Kit Fox |
1 |
| Canal project |
1 |
| Beautiful sunsets |
1 |
| Increased interest in
educational requirements |
1 |
| School music programs |
1 |
| Decent drinking water |
1 |
| Energy of people |
1 |
| Doctors and dentists |
1 |
| Judge Hoover's drug court |
1 |
| Isolated from floods, fires,
famine, 1000' waves |
1 |
| Great clubs |
1 |
| Recycling
drop-off points |
1 |
| Bakersfield underground music
scene |
1 |
| Graffiti
control |
1 |
| Melodrama |
1 |
| Generous business owners who
contribute to community |
1 |
| Consolidation of services
city/county |
1 |
| NOR programs |
1 |
| Community education programs |
1 |
| Good balance of arts &
creative people |
1 |
| More local TV than most |
1 |
| Outdoor seating at
restaurants |
1 |
| Bakersfield in USA |
1 |
| Keep horses & ranch
animals |
1 |
|
|
|
Name 5 things
you don't like about Greater Bakersfield.
What are our weaknesses?
|
|
|
|
| Air
quality/smog/pollution/dusty/allergens |
392 |
| Traffic congestion, poor
traffic mgt., lights not synchronized |
169 |
| Nothing for
teens to do-affordable/after-school activities for kids/no hangouts |
135 |
| Poor highway and
transportation planning/poor cross town/ freeways don't connect |
134 |
| Weather: Wet, cold foggy
winters/the heat in summer |
107 |
| Gangs:
not tough enough on them |
95 |
| Crime and violence |
95 |
| Shopping/More dept. stores (Nordstroms,
Eddie Bauer,. Etc.)/upscale shopping |
83 |
| Road maintenance; potholes,
etc. Especially county roads |
79 |
| Schools; Low test
scores-education at all levels |
74 |
| Urban sprawl
& strip malls/out of control building |
73 |
| Public transportation: too
long transit times/no after 7pm/longer hours 24x7/more buses/cost |
69 |
| Lack of more
cultural/entertainment options; concerts, sports |
69 |
| Lack of variety in
restaurants; incl. Ethnic & seafood |
62 |
| Urban decay/emphasis on new
development West, rather than redevelopment-especially East |
56 |
| Poor air service: no direct
flights/No jets/too costly |
51 |
| Gas prices high comparable to
other cities |
51 |
| No water park/water
slide-especially in summer |
49 |
| Growth into farmlands; no
farmland preservation |
46 |
| Negative image-seen as
"hick"/"cowboy"/"redneck" |
44 |
| Neighborhood & freeway
cleanliness/litter; Lack of pride as evidenced by trash, weeds. |
43 |
| Parking downtown |
41 |
| Need more trees in parking
lot/parks, streets |
40 |
| Lack of job opportunities |
39 |
| Size of airport; antiquated |
37 |
| Not enough amusement parks,
entertainment for children |
33 |
| General unfriendliness
towards minorities; racial insensitivity; cultural prejudice |
33 |
| Home values do not
appreciate; excessive residential building/perimeter boundaries |
31 |
| Graffiti |
30 |
| Homeless people |
29 |
| Bad drivers/drink &
drive/ no stops/run red lights/U-turn mid street/speeding |
28 |
| No outlet mall/get Grand
Canal open |
26 |
| No major baseball stadium; or
refurbish Sam Lynn |
25 |
| Traffic on Rosedale; urban
nightmare mix of commercial & passenger |
25 |
| Too many old, falling apart,
vacant buildings especially downtown; Renovate or remodel |
25 |
| Too few parks, bike paths,
etc. |
25 |
| A dry Kern
River (communicates
"dry & dusty"/ fluctuation of flow |
24 |
| Lack of consistent
planning/zoning |
24 |
| Unattractive gateways.
Landscape & clean up. Ugly on and off ramps |
24 |
| Too much poverty; too many
"poor" neighborhoods |
23 |
| Drug sales and use/Methamphatamine
manufacturing |
23 |
| More police; more sheriffs on
duty/need more foot patrol |
23 |
| No drive-in movie theater |
22 |
| High unemployment |
22 |
| Dairies in the Southern San
Joaquin/proposed mega-dairy too close to residential |
22 |
| Poor health access/emergency
rooms slow/KMC |
20 |
| Transit in and out of
city/train to L.A./ - high speed/bullet train |
19 |
| One newspaper; quality of
reporting, needs to be more professional & responsive |
19 |
| Better downtown nightlife,
and safer/no nice night clubs |
17 |
| Too many movie theaters |
17 |
| Need diversified economy-Oil
and Ag dependent/lack of industry |
16 |
| More family gathering
activities |
16 |
| Poor cooperation between city
& county/lack of planning agency coordination/turf wars |
16 |
| Mall and Marketplace rules
too strict (for teens) |
15 |
| Upgrade downtown-restaurants,
shops, theatres |
15 |
| Lack of nice landscaping in
many areas |
13 |
| Need more high tech
industry/jobs |
13 |
| Need more youth clubs/teen
dance clubs |
13 |
| Lack of
accessible,
affordable quality child care |
13 |
| Tacky Union Avenue.
Clean-up, or tear down and start over |
13 |
| Good 'ol boys political
system; inequity in application of regulations; cater to special
interests |
13 |
| Declining water quality.
Also, trash in water (SE) |
13 |
| East Bakersfield and Old Town
Kern need improvement |
13 |
| Very conservative; right wing
thinking |
12 |
| Street names change |
12 |
| Pesticides |
12 |
| No NBA or NFL (pro sports) |
12 |
| Not enough culturally diverse
activities/festivals/multi-cultural events |
11 |
| Lack of overall vision for
development/no published Overall plan presenting Bakersfield
uniqueness |
11 |
| Growing too much, too fast |
11 |
| Downtown physical
appearance/Downtown too small |
10 |
| No recycling pickup |
10 |
| Over-zealous law
enforcement/Dist. Attorney |
10 |
| Becoming Los Angeles/bringing
their problems here; Too pro-development |
10 |
| Not enough to do |
9 |
| Increasing prices |
9 |
| Need another shopping mall
comparable to Valley Plaza |
9 |
| No
Symphony Hall/musical venue |
9 |
| Underskilled
and uneducated labor pool/lack of "entry level" workers |
8 |
| Lack of
community involvement/low community spirit/not enough cooperation
among residents |
8 |
| Billboards-visual
pollution-"truck stop" feel/ Ronald McDonald balloon |
8 |
| Low
paying jobs-city welcomes businesses with low paying jobs |
8 |
| Parental
responsibility/involvement in children's events/parents not @ back
to school |
8 |
| Police
attitudes - rude/ sheriff harassment |
8 |
| Absence
of Univ. of California campus; lack of advance educ. Opportunities |
8 |
| Lack of
top medical expertise |
7 |
| Feral
cats/animal control (encourage county limitation of # of cats
& dogs per household?) |
7 |
| Valley
Fever & allergies |
7 |
| Fully
developing Kern River - bike path, stores, parks |
7 |
| Lack of
shops - East Hills mall |
7 |
| Communication
of upcoming events too late |
7 |
| Dumping
ground for other cities/Toxic waste dumping |
7 |
| Lack of
diversity in population |
7 |
| More
lights on streets |
7 |
| Little
redevelopment along core avenues (Union, Cottonwood, Mt. Vernon) |
6 |
| Trash
pickup not adequate (one-day)/mandatory pickup |
6 |
| Develop
River Walk (like San Antonio) with hotel and water access-use River
So. Fork canal |
6 |
| Need a
public ice skating rink |
6 |
| Anti-environmentalism
or lack of concern for the environment |
6 |
| Property
taxes too high for a community of this size with affordable
housing |
6 |
| Too
many prisons in surrounding areas |
6 |
| Lack of
services for abused children/crimes against children |
6 |
| Hundreds
of changes to General Plan |
6 |
| Radio
stations (compared to L.A., San Francisco) |
6 |
| Oildale
and North Bakersfield |
6 |
| Apathy
- low voter turnout; It can't happen here attitude |
5 |
| Police
Response time slow for non-emergency/ignore some crime areas |
5 |
| Provencialism
/small
town thinking |
5 |
| Poorly
served county islands within city limits |
5 |
| Need to
preserve historical buildings & sites/appreciate pre-dust
bowl history/bigger museum |
5 |
| Decisions
made about growth without citizen input or approval |
5 |
| Low
quality health care |
5 |
| Need
free community swimming pools with longer hours and places to
change |
5 |
| High
teen pregnancy-need to educate them |
5 |
| Route
freeway away from the river |
5 |
| More
community activities |
5 |
| No
tourist type attractions |
5 |
| Economic
stagnation in SE Bakersfield |
5 |
| Smells
like a sewer; refinery |
5 |
| Need to
feel safe on the East side |
5 |
| Lack of
community support for local arts & entertainment |
5 |
| Preoccupation
with sports as an economic panacea |
5 |
| City
doesn't put enough $$ into rundown areas of city/vacant malls |
4 |
| Need
jobs for teenagers |
4 |
| Lack of
inexpensive, high bandwidth internet access/slow telephone access |
4 |
| Lack of
desire for quality growth |
4 |
| Lack of
art education in schools/art education not accessible for poorer
children |
4 |
| Trains
running through the middle of town/gates malfunction/trains during
rush hour |
4 |
| Need
free skate parks |
4 |
| Movie
prices are high |
4 |
| Cost of
dry-cleaning comparatively too high |
4 |
| School
districts economically unbalanced |
4 |
| CSUB
needs an engineering/technical program- high tech |
4 |
| Overly
punitive court system; white male control |
4 |
| Not a
whole lot directed to singles (not bars) |
4 |
| Not
enough schools/ too many temporary school buildings |
4 |
| Bigger
recreational center; indoor activities for kids) |
3 |
| Need to
set growth boundaries so inner city can be rebuilt |
3 |
| Lack of
vocational training in high school |
3 |
| Lack of
fresh produce and natural foods |
3 |
| Kern
County Fair is small. Acts weak |
3 |
| Architecture
of buildings |
3 |
| In-city
speed limits too high |
3 |
| Inability
to make the town grow/attract new business |
3 |
| Economic
gap between haves and have-nots |
3 |
| Car
dealers not competitive |
3 |
| Corruption
in high officials |
3 |
| Condition
and patrons of the parks-need clean restrooms |
3 |
| Inferiority
complex |
3 |
| Not
enough sophisticated jobs/management jobs |
3 |
| Few
quality elected officials |
3 |
| Littering
and illegal dumping |
3 |
| Distance
from L.A., S.F., Santa Barbara, Tahoe |
3 |
| Media
and Californian only report about "popular" high schools |
3 |
| Another
community college and more classes needed |
3 |
| Need
better teachers/teaching methods |
3 |
| Possible
overpopulation |
3 |
| No
beach |
3 |
| Not
enough coordinated concern for the poor in our community |
3 |
| Totally
out of control with annexation process |
3 |
| Trees
butchered all around town |
3 |
| Nosy,
gossipy community |
3 |
| Padre
Hotel: signs and fire code |
3 |
| Need
for truck routes to bypass town (connect 58 & 99) |
3 |
| Lack of
support for writers/artistic expression |
3 |
| Lack of
curb cuts/curb ramps for wheelchair access |
2 |
| Trashy
nightclubs |
2 |
| Lacks
charm, ambiance and visual culture |
2 |
| Not
enough theatres for plays; stop building movie theaters |
2 |
| Some
Special Educ. Classes lack qualified teachers; need more funding |
2 |
| Some
parts of Southeast look like 3rd world ghetto |
2 |
| High
level of illiteracy |
2 |
| Ethnic
celebrations should be given more "press" |
2 |
| Care
and maintenance of drainage (sump pits) below standard |
2 |
| No snow |
2 |
| Too
much destruction by youths (need more programs for energy) |
2 |
| Centennial
Garden events too expensive |
2 |
| Bus
station/depot - needs big work |
2 |
| Seeming
lack of concern for water for growth |
2 |
| Low
educational levels |
2 |
| Lakeview |
2 |
| No
fenced parks to train dogs/no "pooper bags" for dogs in
parks |
2 |
| Too
much country music and good ol boy attitude |
2 |
| Too
many Wal-Marts, superstores; Need to protect small bus. Market |
2 |
| Spell
it "Baker's Field" It's more nostalgic/the name |
2 |
| Some
streets "you don't drive down at night" |
2 |
| Retired
people need to involve themselves in the lives of youth |
2 |
| Circle
on Chester has too many roads coming into it |
2 |
| Poor
government support for cultural institutions |
2 |
| Lower
class size in all K-12 classes |
2 |
| Libraries
are not funded adequately/high fees |
2 |
| Too
many incentives to developers (Grand Canal) and not to others |
2 |
| Fewer
houses crammed into small suburban neighborhoods |
2 |
| Lack of
adequate sports complex |
2 |
| Road
construction too long to complete/construction during rush hour |
2 |
| No
public gardens or arboretum / try a citrus garden |
2 |
| High
dropout rate |
2 |
| The
Marketplace |
2 |
| GET
stops are litter sources |
2 |
| Need
nicer hotels |
2 |
| Limited
movie selections in spite of many movie theaters - too many R
rated |
2 |
| Media
encouragement of illegitimate children |
2 |
| Need
big music stores |
2 |
| Schools
are crowded |
2 |
| No
place to ride ATVs |
2 |
| More
social services without red tape/more family service centers |
2 |
| Seasonal
altruism |
2 |
| Federal
representation/Bill Thomas, congressman |
2 |
| Railroad
tracks in lower income neighborhoods are horrible |
2 |
| Need
more soccer fields |
2 |
| Utility
costs too high |
2 |
| Lack of
fishing and hunting |
2 |
| Language
misuse/foul language |
2 |
| Media
needs to emphasize the positive |
2 |
| Lottery
at Centennial Gardens |
2 |
| Change
driving age to 16 |
2 |
| First
Night blocking street to work and businesses |
2 |
| Too
many on AFDC and abusing it |
2 |
| Street
sweeping not regular |
2 |
| No
specific theme for the city |
2 |
| Need
reading taught as a separate class |
2 |
| Local
news - lack of substance |
2 |
| Business
at any price syndrome of governing |
2 |
| No
restaurant nor restrooms on the river |
2 |
| Incentive
credits should be given to developers of recreational &
cultural facilities |
1 |
| City
investments which have gone poorly |
1 |
| 2 small
cities within 1 city (NE and SW) |
1 |
| Too
many violent people on welfare with nothing to do |
1 |
| Children
born into hopeless situations |
1 |
| Lack of
employment opportunities for persons with disabilities |
1 |
| Motels
are too expensive |
1 |
| Not
accepting of alternate religious beliefs and sexual orientations |
1 |
| Zoo
needs more funding |
1 |
| No
Executive Golf Courses (3-par) |
1 |
| Large
portion of population have low self esteem |
1 |
| No
movie Production agencies |
1 |
| View
coming down from the Grapevine |
1 |
| Too
much bickering about any changes to be made |
1 |
| Attitudes
and service of city employees |
1 |
| Adult
bookstores |
1 |
| Downtown
mini-bus (34th to Valley Plaza) |
1 |
| County
agencies still lack Spanish speaking personnel |
1 |
| No
intermodal transit center |
1 |
| Downtown
beautification caused congestion |
1 |
| Not
many choices for event locations over 500 |
1 |
| City
workers ticketing people without confirmation (planning dept). |
1 |
| Need a
S/W Hart Park |
1 |
| Not
worrying about 2000 and
working on 2020 |
1 |
| Easier
access to buildings/businesses |
1 |
| Overprotected
by sign ordinances & other regulations |
1 |
| Most
people are last minute to commit to an event |
1 |
| Short-sighted
planning - "everything has to be downtown" |
1 |
| "Not
in my backyard" attitude |
1 |
| No good
pubs |
1 |
| Business
charge for ATM use |
1 |
| Road
lanes are too little |
1 |
| Lack of
CALTRANS investment |
1 |
| No
inspired leadership in the school systems |
1 |
| Neighborhoods
need to be safer for children |
1 |
| Need
nice Visitors Center |
1 |
| No
Bakersfield "showcase" @ Hy 99 and I-5 |
1 |
| Inadequate
road fees for new houses in county |
1 |
| "Thugs"
hang out at malls |
1 |
| Broadway
productions done by amateurs |
1 |
| Underpass
at Q near Truxtun |
1 |
| Better
stop lights on 4th & P |
1 |
| Better
garbage pick up in the area (S E) |
1 |
| Public/local
officials who break law & get away with it |
1 |
| Lack of
state funding for local programs |
1 |
| Lack an
Opera/Broadway shows season |
1 |
| Californian
still resistant to write articles about Latinos |
1 |
| Resistance
to change |
1 |
| Improve
awareness of World Trade Center |
1 |
| Oil
companies undertaxed, citizens overtaxed |
1 |
| Pollution
from old power plant (leaks, etc.) |
1 |
| Mean
justice unfair to indigents |
1 |
| Lack of
good roads to the coast |
1 |
| Polarization
of ethnic communities |
1 |
| Businesses
S. of Chester very rundown |
1 |
| Need
sidewalks of major streets (Rosedale, California) |
1 |
| Better
planning puts economic before aesthetic |
1 |
| Entertainment
type businesses tend to fail, (ie: Ice Palace) |
1 |
| Greater
support of CSUB and BC educational programs |
1 |
| Not
enough police interaction with children |
1 |
| Schools
don't prepare students for college |
1 |
| More
support & community awareness of disabled |
1 |
| Need
more lanes on the freeway |
1 |
| Childcare
difficult for handicapped children |
1 |
| CMIF
State Taxes |
1 |
| Need
better private schools not all Christian |
1 |
| Need to
be more pro-active in mentoring at-risk youth |
1 |
| Condition
of school leadership |
1 |
| Everything
closes at 9pm |
1 |
| Lack of
advertising of mass transit opportunities |
1 |
| Continuous
change in high school boundaries |
1 |
| Planning
Commission needs revising roads vs freeways |
1 |
| On-again,
off-again politics (sports complexes, shopping areas, freeways) |
1 |
| Cottonwood
and the Ioma |
1 |
| Major
county subdivisions on septic systems |
1 |
| County
in development business |
1 |
| City
lights often go out (6th, P, 4th streets) |
1 |
| Wooden
fences instead of cement |
1 |
| High
schools establish abstinence programs to curb teenage pregnancy |
1 |
| Latest
trend of taking away parental choice in their child's teacher |
1 |
| Urban
situation needs change |
1 |
| Need
traffic light at Ridge Oak & Old River |
1 |
| Easy
town for bank robberies |
1 |
| Need
more cable companies for lower cable TV rates |
1 |
| Lack of
support for CSUB in retaining best students & athletes |
1 |
| Slow to
be up to speed in technology |
1 |
| Lack of
accountability by city administration |
1 |
| Government
Center not centralized - departments all over town |
1 |
| Need to
change how the bottom 10% is living: educationally &
economically |
1 |
| Low
quality social workers |
1 |
| Lack of
penalties for small crime criminals |
1 |
| Fairfax
(between Eucalyptus & Pioneer) should be 4 lane road |
1 |
| No
petting zoo |
1 |
| Utilities
not underground in new development areas |
1 |
| We are
a culturally separated town |
1 |
| New
market places taking business from older centers |
1 |
| Poorly
trained teachers and administrators in cultural sensitivity |
1 |
| Overcrowded
and obviously troubled community college system |
1 |
| How
this town kisses the behind of anyone remotely famous from here |
1 |
| No good
bands come to town |
1 |
| Worry
too much & take ourselves and the city too seriously |
1 |
| Too
conservative-can't make decisions on improvements |
1 |
| We
don't support our schools enough |
1 |
| Oildale
O8ers |
1 |
| Change
lefthand turn signals to yield on green |
1 |
| Needs
professional soccer |
1 |
| Counseling
for parents with teens |
1 |
| Lack of
concern for the remainder of Kern County |
1 |
| When
shopping area built, utility and oilfield operators should put up
wall around |
1 |
| City
council meetings good for a nap..we should look into this |
1 |
| Surrounding
area not considered when put expensive housing next to ramshackle |
1 |
| Developers
in county get away with no infrastructure |
1 |
| Lack of
support for the oil industry-big tax payer |
1 |
| Downtown
still not safe to shop |
1 |
| More
attendance at BC football games |
1 |
| High
School district's idea that 2000 students is perfect |
1 |
| High
school kids need to be involved in public service |
1 |
| Low
publicity of positive youth programs |
1 |
| Cover
or close the canal on Lake Street - dumpers make it an eyesore |
1 |
| Not
enough foreign films |
1 |
| Hiring
process is very long in this area |
1 |
| Youth
drinking and driving-need to educate about death rate |
1 |
| "Ponds"
in parts that are fenced or weed-filled |
1 |
| More
educational interaction between schools and public representatives |
1 |
| Negative
media coverage |
1 |
| Lack of
opportunity for ethnic population to share in city's successes |
1 |
| Need
downtown Edwards Cinema |
1 |
| Palm
trees |
1 |
| Castle
& Cook grip on city |
1 |
| Need
more aggressive development downtown |
1 |
| Need
housing downtown |
1 |
| One way
streets |
1 |
| Miss
Chester Avenue parades |
1 |
| Slow
parades |
1 |
| Lack of
awareness of major Jewish holidays |
1 |
| Projects
owned by outsiders taking money out of town |
1 |
| No
major college sports program |
1 |
| Poor
entertainment |
1 |
| Need
batting cage in SW |
1 |
| School
crimes |
1 |
| Catering
to minorities |
1 |
| Destructive
sand storms |
1 |
| Centennial
Gardens location |
1 |
| Tramps
and bums at bus stations |
1 |
| Need
adult sports programs |
1 |
| Loud
booming music coming from cars |
1 |
| Billboards
in Spanish only |
1 |
| Need to
support visiting entertainments so they will want to return |
1 |
| Gun
shops |
1 |
| City
& county fire and police should consolidate |
1 |
| Not
enough focus on needs of teens |
1 |
| Destruction
of wildlife habitats |
1 |
| Too
many Spanish only stores |
1 |
| Lack of
awareness of the importance of education |
1 |
| Community
involvement in cleaning up city |
1 |
| Too
many rules for teens |
1 |
| Children
breaking curfew |
1 |
| Garbage
& sanitation departments deceiving and wasteful |
1 |
| Small
seats at Centennial Gardens |
1 |
| Tax
dollars spent on show buildings for city officials |
1 |
| Need a
subway |
1 |
| Deals
with dairy farmers before public made aware |
1 |
| Lighting
at bus stops |
1 |
| Need
more domestic violence shelters |
1 |
| Teen
suicide |
1 |
| Too
many illegal immigrants |
1 |
| Van's
skate park |
1 |
| Not
enough book/coffee shops |
1 |
| Can't
cruise downtown |
1 |
| Central
Park is not pleasing |
1 |
| School
hours too short |
1 |
| Lack of
elder care respite programs |
1 |
| No
place to party for 20-35 age group |
1 |
| No
Indian reservation |
1 |
| Dominating,
egocentric city manager |
1 |
| Poor
treatment of nurses |
1 |
| Lighted
basketball courts in parks |
1 |
| Lack of
respect for agriculture and ag education |
1 |
| High
school dress codes not strict enough |
1 |
| No all
night stores |
1 |
| Long
lines at county offices |
1 |
| Need
buses to Hart Park in the summer |
1 |
| Adult
schooling |
1 |
| People
moving here who don't appreciate it |
1 |
| Outside
contractors who don't finish projects |
1 |
| Drop
the Grand Canal |
1 |
| Lack of
walk-thru on Chester Avenue-pedestrians only |
1 |
| Rising
cost of housing |
1 |
| Ugly
monotonous suburban SW and NW |
1 |
| Lack of
visionaries without self-serving agendas |
1 |
| City
schools busing policy |
1 |
| Too
many oil wells |
1 |
| Ogden
Entertainment lack of concern for Bakersfield resident opinons |
1 |
| Need
local team ownership |
1 |
| Promote
ag-related businesses |
1 |
| Need
organizations for women 20-30 age |
1 |
| Pit
bull breeding |
1 |
| Can't
grow fuchsias because of white fly |
1 |
| Bakersfield
Jazz Festival |
1 |
| More
frats and sororities at CSUB |
1 |
| Prices
of food and drink at Centennial Gardens |
1 |
| School
buses stop on main roads during rush hour |
1 |
| No
library in NW |
1 |
| Need
scheduled events at Hart Park |
1 |
| Police
too strict with teens |
1 |
| Curfew
too early |
1 |
| Schools
like prisons, not a learning environment |
1 |
| Need a
festival that only Bakersfield has, include teenagers |
1 |
| Unfriendly
people at the DMV |
1 |
| Destroying
horse riding areas with houses |
1 |
| Need no
tolerance for criminals |
1 |
| Ugly
oil refinery |
1 |
| Religious
school board members with their own agenda |
1 |
| Need
projects that pay for themselves not with tax dollars |
1 |
| Ugly
shopping areas such as College Center |
1 |
| Need
post offices in convenience stores |
1 |
| Bakersfield
College parking |
1 |
| Need
public funding support for the Condors |
1 |
| School
districts |
1 |
| School
curriculum |
1 |
| Need
more high quality community leadership |
1 |
| Lack of
professional entertainment outside the scope of Country Western |
1 |
| Lack of
academic activities: authors, lecturers |
1 |
| Unsafe
pedestrian crosswalks |
1 |
| Lack of
social activities for middle-high income minorities |
1 |
| Lack of
services East of 99 and South of Chester |
1 |
| Foster
family programs |
1 |
| Competition
for control and money among social service providers |
1 |
| Centennial
Garden fountain unsafe |
1 |
| Smokin
Armadillos |
1 |
| Buck
Owens Blvd. I liked Pierce Rd. |
1 |
| Closure
of Rio Bravo airport |
1 |
| Not
enough public housing |
1 |
| Need
more community agency collaboration |
1 |
| Stronger
business/community partnership |
1 |
| Too
many Mexican restaurants |
1 |
| Little
or no money given to faith-based nonprofits who help people in the
community |
1 |
| Lack of
planning for large construction projects |
1 |
| Low
level of concern for defendant rights in criminal cases |
1 |
| Desert
not attractive |
1 |
| Parks
aren't as safe |
1 |
| That
every revenue enhancing development is surrounded in controversy |
1 |
| Every
new shopping center or gas station is protested |
1 |
| That
Mr. Hall has campaigned for Mayor 2 years before the race begins |
1 |
| More
youth involvement opportunities for service projects |
1 |
| CSUB
not enough evening classes for working students |
1 |
| More
people need to be recognized for achievement |
1 |
| Overuse
of defoliant and ag burning |
1 |
| Board
of Supervisors in pocket of developers |
1 |
| No
turnouts for GET buses |
1 |
| Neighborhood
barking dogs |
1 |
| Not
enough rain |
1 |
| No
"Times Square" location |
1 |
| Immigrants
not always treated with respect |
1 |
| BC
instructor salaries too low |
1 |
| Need
regular city cleanup days |
1 |
| 1
person out of 4 on public assistance |
1 |
| Scared
of too many "outsiders" moving in |
1 |
| Locked
sheriff and police buildings at night |
1 |
| Permitted
use of fireworks |
1 |
| Unreliability
of library days and hours |
1 |
| Lack of
morality/more adultery since 1975 |
1 |
| Unincorporated
areas subsidized by city residents |
1 |
| Do not
recognize famous citizen-Earl Warren |
1 |
| Rest
homes not monitored enough |
1 |
| Too
many fences between neighbors |
1 |
| Need
more men's stores |
1 |
| Human
relations committee |
1 |
| New
bland housing tracts |
1 |
| Loss of
open space |
1 |
| Quick
turnover of businesses |
1 |
| Tax $
wasted by not combining city and county metro services |
1 |
| Trucks
too fast on freeway through town |
1 |
| Not
enough concern for the elderly |
1 |
| Ambulance
monopoly |
1 |
| Not
small business friendly |
1 |
| No more
RiteAids |
1 |
| Emphasis
on new development rather than the natural environment |
1 |
